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Advancement Office unveils new planned giving resources

Clarksville, Ark. --- Individuals who are interested in making charitable gifts to Ozarks now have access to an extensive library of online resources and tools to help them learn more about the types of gift options available and how different types of gifts may impact their estate and tax planning.

The University of the Ozarks Advancement Office, in partnership with The Stelter Company, has added a comprehensive "planned giving" section to the university website which contains a wealth of information about charitable giving. In this new section, visitors will find content that explains the various types of gifts, with information about the advantages offered by each gift type. They will also have access to resources that will help answer many questions about charitable giving, including a number of eBrochures, in-depth articles about charitable giving, commonly used giving forms and IRS publications, along with links to other giving resources on the web.

According to Reba Pridgin, Ozarks' director of planned and major giving, the new content can help visitors see the many ways they can make a difference. "I've talked to people who didn't know that during their lifetime they could setup a scholarship with the criteria they want - to choose the type of student they want to help - but not have to fund that scholarship until they pass away," Pridgin said. This type of giving opportunity is just one of the options Pridgin says people can learn about through the new web content.

The university's new planned giving section includes a wealth of information and helpful planning tools for individuals who want to explore charitable gift options.

Brandy Cox, CFRE, director of development at Ozarks, said the new web resources should be invaluable to people who want to support the university with a substantial gift, but for whom large annual donations might not be an option. "We all operate under a budget," she said. "When someone looks at a gift, say in an annual context, they may feel they can't give as much as they'd like. But with a planned gift, they can make a lifetime gift on a much larger scale."

Pridgin said the site can also help people understand both the immediate and long-lasting impacts that a planned gift can have. "We recently setup a gift with a gentleman and his wife to fund a scholarship endowment that will come from their estate." Through this type of gift, Pridgin said that the couple was able to establish the terms of their gift. "Their intentions are on paper…we've already prepared a gift agreement that specifies that students that meet specific criteria have an opportunity to receive this scholarship," she explained. And, as Pridgin also pointed out, the donors will now be able to see just how much their gift is appreciated. "It's so wonderful to be able to tell people 'Thank You' in person for what they're intending to do!" she added.

While the new resources should help people better understand their planned giving options, Pridgin cautioned that people who are interested in making a gift should still seek advice from a financial advisor to actually create their gift. "We aren't experts [in financial planning], and we can't give technical and legal advice," she explained. "But we can give people ideas about how to talk to their estate planner or investment planner."